People who love walking in the Peak District and other hills
and dales of England may like to hop across the pond to Northern
Ireland and take in some of the views that National Trust site
Castle Ward in County Down has to offer.

This part of the Lecale countryside has been featured as a walk
of the week by the Daily Telegraph and boasts any number of
attractions, including Audley’s Castle – a 15th-century tower house
- and Strangford Lough, a marine nature reserve.

Heading to this latter destination in winter could prove
particularly enjoyable to bird-watching enthusiasts as “virtually
the entire world population of light-bellied Brent geese”
congregate here at this time.

Walking expert John Bettes said of the region: “Strolling
through this 820-acre walled demesne takes you along trails that
wind their way through atmospheric woodland, parkland and
gardens.”

What’s more, visitors can also participate in a living history
house tour or spend time in the corn mill, learning about Irish
industrial heritage.

People who enjoy walking in the New Forest may be interested
to note that a report published yesterday (August 1st) suggests
that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
may consider axing the country’s proposed new coastal path in a bid
to save money.

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat alliance recently stated that
all governmental departments must reduce their spending bills by
around 40 per cent in the coming months as it seeks to implement
austerity measures to cut the nation’s fiscal budget deficit, which
is estimated to stand at more than £140 billion.

And according to journalist Jim Pickard, who was writing for the
Financial Times’ Westminster blog, the proposed £50 million outlay
on a 30-foot wide and 2,500-mile long walking path around the
country which was introduced by the former administration last year
could be targeted.

Mr Pickard wrote: “I asked a former Defra minister last week
what the easiest cut in his old department would be. The answer:
the new coastal path.”
 

People who like to go walking in the Lake District might want to respond to a
plea from a group hoping to redevelop several highland rambling
trails.

Friends of Nevis has appealed to all walking enthusiasts to help
them in their efforts to maintain and repair some of the trails
found on and around Britain’s highest mountain over the weekend of
August 13th to 16th, according to Grough.

The organisation – which was set up in February 2008 and seeks
to give as many individuals and organisations as is possible the
opportunity to support one of the UK’s most iconic walking
destinations – has coincided its event with the John Muir Trust’s
litter picking activity.

A spokesperson for the group told the news source that the main
area it is targeting for this project will be “below Lochan Meall
and t-Suidhe” as it wants to get to a stage whereby all sections of
this track have been “checked and maintained by our volunteers
during 2010″.
 

People who enjoy walking in the Peak District and other rambling hotspots across the UK might like to check out what Norfolk’s Brancaster Staithe harbour has to offer, an expert has said.

According to coastal warden Keith Miller, who was speaking to the Daily Telegraph, this trail is an essential route for all walking enthusiasts to take at some point as it is an ideal location for a stroll at any time of the year.

Mr Miller stated that "the delicate little terns fishing just off the quay" could be one of the many great sights to view during the walk – which is around six kilometres long – over the coming months.

However, the warden went on to say that his favourite time to walk the route is "the middle of winter", when views are unrestricted by leaves on the trees.

Meanwhile, ranger Lorna Sherrif told the publication recently that Devon’s Wembury Point is an excellent spot for a hike all-year-round.

A ten-year-old boy who was walking in the Lake District with his grandfather has helped save his injured family member by guiding rescue teams to him following a fall.

Grough reports that the child and his grandfather were taking the walking route towards Ennerdale from nearby Wasdale but the elder member of the party encountered trouble along the way and fell near the top of Haycock.

The pair – who hail from London – were staying at a local hostel for their trip and the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team was notified by staff there when they failed to return later that day.

The grandfather had slipped due to damp conditions on the rambling trails and was unable to walk but his younger relation trekked some three miles in order to try to get help for the injured man.

He then gave the rescuers directions, by which the male was discovered and taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, it was revealed recently that the police are to get involved in order to clampdown on the number of wild campers using certain restricted areas of the Lake District national park at weekends.

People who enjoy walking in the Lake District might be interested to note that police are currently looking to combat the issue of wild campers in the area’s Duddon Valley.

The authorities have been receiving complaints about the amount of litter and human waste being disposed of in the Ulpha Bridge and Ulpha Flats regions of the national park as people flock to the beauty spots to picnic and camp out every weekend.

And this, according to Lake District national park ranger Chris Berry, is now causing a "very worrying situation", meaning that the police are having to get involved in order to try to stamp out the problem.

He explained that the area had been visited for generations, but expressed his concern that people are now not heeding the ‘no camping’ signs there.

Meanwhile, a group of volunteers who helped maintain several walking trails in the Lake District were given a cash reward at the Marsh Heritage Awards last week, Grough reported.